PRS-300 problem viewing books

[jazz]

I have the PRS-300 for about a week now. I have downloaded books from my library and the Sony site. In the last week, I have "lost my place" in the book I was reading several times, and had to press the page-turn button repeatedly to find my place again. Though it is annoying to "page through" back to my place, it's something I can get used to.

However, I have come upon another problem that is more troublesome. I plugged in my Reader today to load a new book that was available in my library, and when I unplugged the Reader, the book I was reading "lost its place" yet again. When I opened to page 1 to page through to my place yet again, I received the message "Protected Page!" with a circle with a line through it. I checked my other books and out of 7 books, another one has this same warning. The other 6, including another library book, can be read. I decided to delete the two problem books and resync them with Reader Library on my computer, but the problem perists and I cannot read those books on the Reader (though they still can be read on the computer.)

Has anyone had a similar problem and if so, is there a fix? Thanks.

[Mickey330]

Hi, Jazz -

While I cannot answer to your "lost" place comment, I can tell you that what you are experiencing with the library books is "normal."

"Normal" in that it is a known Overdrive bug that you cannot have library ePub books AND library PDF books on your Sony device at one time. You can have them in your Calibre, Sony reader or ADE library, but they cannot be on the reader at the same time.

My solution is to just check out books in either format ... that way I don't have to remember which is which... YMMV.

Guess we'll just have to wait to see if Overdrive/Sony/Adobe fix this bug.

Happy reading!

Marilyn

P.S. Remember, this only applies to LIBRARY books (as far as I know). All other formats that the Sony can read and that are NOT from the library download to and work fine on the reader (PRS-300). Take care.

[Dusty]

If you have to page through the book you can do it quicker by inputing numbers using the buttons on the side.
Open the book then enter 1-0-0 and you skip to page 100

[spideog]

The reader should be remembering the last page you were on for every book that you previously read on it. If it's not doing that or even remembering your bookmarks then that would sound like a dodgy unit. What options are you clicking on when you go to continue reading a book, the "Continue Reading" option 1 should just take you straight to the last page, and show that page number in small text on the line as well before you select it?

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by jazz

I have the PRS-300 for about a week now. I have downloaded books from my library and the Sony site. In the last week, I have "lost my place" in the book I was reading several times, and had to press the page-turn button repeatedly to find my place again. Though it is annoying to "page through" back to my place, it's something I can get used to.

However, I have come upon another problem that is more troublesome. I plugged in my Reader today to load a new book that was available in my library, and when I unplugged the Reader, the book I was reading "lost its place" yet again. When I opened to page 1 to page through to my place yet again, I received the message "Protected Page!" with a circle with a line through it. I checked my other books and out of 7 books, another one has this same warning. The other 6, including another library book, can be read. I decided to delete the two problem books and resync them with Reader Library on my computer, but the problem perists and I cannot read those books on the Reader (though they still can be read on the computer.)

Has anyone had a similar problem and if so, is there a fix? Thanks.

Before syncing your eReader with the PC make sure you are at the Home Screen of the eReader. If you are at a book page screen, do NOT sync. I've had the same problem with the PRS 900. Its a software bug.

Also, if you get that "Protected Page" problem, just page down and you start at the cover page of your book.

The pages on my PRS 900 and the Sony Desktop Reader 3.1 have the same total numbers. Thus, you can always go to the same page as you have displayed on the PC if you lose the eReader bookmark. This only works of all files are ePub.

I always sync my PRS 900, PRS 505 and PC once per week to keep the bookmarks, highlights and Collections on all current.

[jlbfoot]

As for losing your place, I suspect one or more of the buttons is getting inadvertently pushed. That happens to me quite often. When I sit my reader down, I usually try to bookmark the page I stopped reading. When I pick it up again, it's easy to check to see that you are on a bookmarked page. Or, you could manually turn off the reader with the slide button on the top...then a pushed button will have no effect.

[sirmaru]

I investigated further on my PRS 900 about the Sync Bug.

1. Do not attach a bookmark or it can trigger a Protected Page bug on Shut Down.
2 Before syncing remove bookmarks on the PC books.
3. If book shows "Protected Page" block, then open a different book first to gain access again.

[jazz]

Thanks to all who responded to my problems with the PRS-300. I have taken all of your comments and suggestions under advisement, but, miracle of miracles, the two books that I couldn't see on the Reader have mysteriously returned! I have to remember that the PRS-300 is a relative newcomer to a relatively new market and that it may be a bit buggy. I guess I was expecting a device that had been road-tested. I feel I've come late to the e-reader party, but, judging from all of the new e-readers introduced at this week's Consumer Electronics Show, maybe that's not the case. Though I wasn't an early adopter, maybe I'm "early-ish." Thanks again.